Don't Blink
by SoScuby
Summary: Life can change in the blink of an eye. What happens when a burgeoning relationship is tested to its limits? Cath/Sara of course
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: We don't own 'em…**

Chapter 1: Sara

"What do you mean you're taking me off the case?" I was fuming and it was taking every ounce of self-control I had not to throw him backwards into his precious jars of formaldehyde and fetuses.

Peacemaker Grissom raised his hands and did some sort of motion that I'm certain that was supposed to calm me. "I just think that you've gotten too emotionally involved in this case. You've lost your perspective."

I couldn't help the sarcastic laugh that escaped me. "My perspective? Since when do you care about my 'perspective' as long as I close the case?"

I turned to walk away and it hit me—Catherine had used those very words with me when I, in her words, 'was too hostile towards a witness.'

I spun back around on my heel. "She put you up to this, didn't she?"

Grissom sank into the chair behind his desk and methodically removed his glasses and rubbed at his temples. "Who put me up to what, Sara?"

"Catherine. She told you I was too involved. She suggested you remove me. Didn't she?" He didn't answer immediately so I stormed over to his desk and slammed my palms down loudly against it. "Answer me, dammit. She did it, didn't she?"

I saw Grissom's eye flicker over my shoulder and I turned to see Catherine standing in the doorway.

"Catherine," he began to speak, but I cut him off.

The weakness and betrayal in my voice were as thick as the tension in the air, "How could you?"

She tossed her hair to the side with a flip of her hand that conveyed nothing less than superiority and simply said, "I'm the lead on the case."

I turned back to look at Grissom once again, but he was completely ignorant of the fact that two other living, breathing people were in his midst. I stood straight and squared my shoulders, ready to fire at her with both barrels. I opened my mouth to speak, ready to put it all out there, lay it on the line for her.

The slightest flinch in her stance and the warning in her eyes stopped me short. Now was not the time. This was not the place. Instead, I cast an angry and unacknowledged glance back at Grissom and then locked eyes with her before I bumped into her on my way out the door.

I didn't look back as I counted backwards from 100 on my way out the rear exit of the lab. I stepped out into the unseasonably cool night air and leaned heavily against the brick wall and continued my countdown. I had only reached 75 and had taken the second drag off of my cigarette when I heard the door I had come out of open and shut. I didn't have to look; I already knew who had joined me.

"I thought you had quit smoking."

I still didn't bother to look at her, "I just started again. I thought you had quit being a bitch."

I smelled her shampoo over the wafting scent of burning tobacco and felt her fingers barely brush mine as she took the cigarette from me and tossed it to the ground, stomping it out. I still didn't bother looking at her even though I knew her eyes hadn't left me.

"I know you're pissed with me, Sar. And you have every right to be, but I did what I had to do," she was attempting to reason with me when she knew that I was at a point where I was beyond reason.

"What you had to do?" I was incredulous that she was trying to defend herself with such a lame-ass excuse. I pushed myself off the wall and got in her face, punctuating every sentence with my finger in her chest. "No, you did what you always do, Catherine. You felt like your toes were being stepped on and you reacted. You did what you do best, Cath, and I can't say I really expected anything more of you."

I stared her down for a moment, not willing to walk away without really conveying how much this power play by her had bothered me. Finally, I stepped around her, wary of physical contact and how I might burst apart at the seams if one of us touched the other.

As I reached for the door back into the lab with one hand, Catherine grabbed my other arm and pulled back firmly, refusing to let me go back inside just yet. I turned slowly and yanked my arm free of her grasp.

"You should probably give me a wide berth for a while. I'm not in the mood for your games right now." My voice was cold, low and even—void of all warmth and friendship. "This push pull crap might work on your boy toys, but in case you haven't noticed, I'm not one of them."

"Sar, I…"

I have no idea what the rest of her sentence was as the door banged shut behind me, silencing whatever crap she was going to try and use to save her ass.

XXX

I had ended up staying a few hours after my shift was over to do some paperwork. My feet were heavy as I made my way to the door. I pulled my keys from my pocket and slid one into the door, swinging it open in one instant and slamming it shut with my foot behind me. Locking it behind me, I made my way up the stairs, unbuttoning my jeans and pulling my shirt over my head as I made my way down the hall.

When I slipped into bed naked, two arms snaked around my waist and subtle, barely there kisses were fluttered between my shoulder blades.

A voice husky with sleep broke the silence of the room. "I didn't expect you to come over this morning."

I relaxed in the arms and said softly, "What happens at work, stays at work. Remember? Rule number one."


	2. Chapter 2

**I apologgize for the delay it is on my behalf...hope you'll forgive me.**

**Enjoy,**

**So ;)**

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Chapter 2 : Catherine

I snuggle a bit deeper into the body lying next to me and sigh contently.

"Morning, beautiful," a soft whisper caresses my ears.

I smile and tug my lips upward. "Morning," I , still not opening my eyes. I receive two butterfly kisses on my eyelids – a gesture I've been addicted to ever since the first time and now it seems that a good day cannot start without it. My eyes flutter open and my smile grows bigger. I kiss the lips of my lover.

I roll over so I'm on top of her body and my lips attach themselves to her neck. My hands travel freely on her flesh, eliciting moans and low growls.

"Cath, baby, we have a lot to do before shift and I also have to go back to my apartment…" she tries with no real conviction.

"I know…" I say before nibbling on her neck.

I keep my exploration of her body and bite her as I pinch one of her nipple.

"…you have ten minutes…" she finally concedes.

"Much more than I need," I smile against her skin as we start to give into each other.

xxxxx

I decide to have a coffee break and go find Sara as she's working in the A/V lab. I enter and close the door behind me. I walk up to her and put a steaming mug in front of her.

"Coffee with milk and one sugar," I announce before sitting next to her.

"I take it this is your peace offering," she smiles a bit.

"It is," I reply before taking a deep breath. "Listen, the decision I made has nothing to do with us. I do think you were too emotionally involved, and we both know that in those cases, you're more hot tempered that usual which always lead to situations we'd rather avoid."

"You had no right to go behind my back to Grissom and make him take me off the case. At the very least, you could have been come to me and talked to me about it before acting like you did. There's nothing I hate more than having my abilities as a CSI questioned and you did just that, basically suggesting that I'm incompetent to my superior."

"I did what I thought I had to."

"We're supposed to keep what's going on outside of work, outside of it and no matter what you claim, you made that decision as my lover, not as my co-worker."

"Sara, I don't want to fight about it. I know you're upset and I hope that once all your anger has faded away, you'll see that my decision had real basis."

"Next time, come to me before going straight to Grissom," she repeats calmly but firmly.

"Truce?"

She sighs. "Truce."

I take a sip of my mug and debate whether or not to ask her what's been on my mind for the past two weeks. Lindsey's play is in two days, and I've been wondering whether or not to ask Sara to come. The 'lovers' part of the equation is still fresh between us and I don't know if now is a right time to ask her to come to that kind of event.

I sigh deeply, I probably won't invite her anyway.

"You're okay?" she asks me.

"Yeah, just a little tired, someone kept me from having my ten extra minutes of sleep," I tease her.

"Yeah, right…" she rolls her eyes. "You know the first thing that goes is the mind."

Things are working as well as can be, thanks to the ground rules we've established. I know that she's finding her place in my life, little by little, and her relationship with Lindsey is far from being bad, although I wouldn't say they are exactly close. And it's way too soon to even consider her as a second parent figure. She picked Lindsey up only once because I couldn't make it, but as a general rule I don't really involve her in Lindsey's life, I think it's too early for this. She, however, offers her help nonetheless, which I appreciate, because at least I know that she understands the implications involved with dating me.

Another complication is the fact that Eddie will be there. That in itself is more than enough reason to avoid inviting Sara. The last thing I want is him finding out about Sara right now. It's still too new. And being the bastard that he is, well, I'd just rather not think about what he's capable of or what he'd do.

"I should get back to work," I finally say, standing with my mug in hand.

"Thanks for the coffee."

"You're welcome."

"Cath?" she calls me back at the last moment.

"Yeah?"

"You're sure you're okay?"

I send her a genuine smile, no need to burden her with my emotional turmoil. "I'm good, don't worry."

"Alright," she winks at me.

"I'll see you later."

"Later," is the last thing I hear before leaving the room.

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**Thank you for reading**


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